Data transmission system

ABSTRACT

A plurality of phase-modulated signals are multiplexed upon a transmission line by the formation of a suitable summed composite signal. An algebraic analog adder is used to combine over an appropriate signal space the modulation product formed from two alternately selected and modulated signals selected from a serial data stream.

O firmed Siaies Pateni 1151 3,636,260 Choquet 51 Jan. 18, 1972 [54] DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEM [56] References Cited [72] inventor: Michel F. Choquet, Vence, France UNITED STATESVPATENTS Assigneer International Business Machines Corpora- 2,719,189 9/1955 Bennett ..179 15 BC tion, Armonk, NY.

- Prima Examiner-Rial h D. Blakeslee 22 F1 d: M s, 1970 P 1 l e ay A!rorneyl-lanifin and .Iancin and Robert B. Brodie [21] Appl. No.: 35,758

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data A plurality of phase-modulated signals are multiplexed upon a transmission line by the formation of a suitable summed com- May 16, 1969 France ..69l5338 posite Signal. An algebraic analog adder is used m combine over an appropriate signal space the modulation product [52] US Cl. ..l79/l 5 BC formed from two alternately selected and modulated Signals [51] Int. Cl. ..H04j 1/20 Selected from a Serial data Stream-L [58] Field of Search ..l79/15 AP, 15 BC, 15 BW 4 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures -|A|s-c|o|E |F|G1HI-- I .JL. g L. .2 .LML

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PATENTED am 8 SHEET 3 OF 8 Mod Mod

rATsmanJmsmz 31636260 SHEET 7 BF 8 Received Signal DE M OSC FIG. 60

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FIG. 6b g DEM PATENTEU JANE 8 I872 SHEET 8 BF 8 DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to digital data transmission systems, and more particularly to the multiplex transmission encoding of digital data suitable for use, for example, on telephone transmission lines.

It is known that a flat band pass characteristic of a transmission line will not distort the frequency components of signals which lie within the band. Such flat pass bands may be only a few kilohertz in width. A typical voice grade quality telephone line has a bandwidth lying between 300 to 3,000 kilohertz.

Consider now the transmission line in relation to digital data. In the simplest case, digital data can be represented upon such a line by a series of unipolar pulses whose presence or absence correspond to the l's and Os of the binary digital message. If the pulses have equal time duration and there is no time separation between them, then they may require timing coordination at both the transmitter and receiver. Additionally, unipolar signals contain a DC component that is difficult to transmit. This component contains no information and certainly wastes power. In contrast, a bipolar pulse, such as a positive-going pulse followed by a negative-going pulse, avoids some of these difficulties. As, for example, the bipolar pulse has a zero DC component. Conveniently, a binary 1 may represent a positive-negative bipolar pulse while a binary may be represented by the same signal 90 out of phase.

It has been observed that a signal of the form (k sin alt/wt) tends in the limit to have the effect of combining a frequency near the lower end of the transmission line frequency pass band with its harmonics throughout the pass band. This yields a resultant signal which can pass through the transmission line without unacceptable distortion. In view of the overwhelming volume of digital data generated by contemporary digital computers, it would be most efficacious if the continuous function (sin cot/mt) could be represented by a digital pulse amplitude approximation. To this extent the data transmission system shown and described in copending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 667,203, filed Sept. 12, 1967, to J. M. Pierret illustrates such a digital substitution. The digital approximation consists of a central pulse and a group of smaller pulses (called echoes) which are both timed and weighted and precede and trail the central pulse. While the timing of central pulses and echoes may overlap in the case of several data sources or encoders, the question arises as to combining several of them so more than one data source may be encoded upon a line or channel.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to devise a digital transmission encoder for multiplexing the output of a plurality of data sources onto a transmission line. It is a more specific object of this invention to devise an encoder for multiplexing a plurality of signals digitally approximating the function (sin alt/mt) with the minimum of information loss and distortion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION os and signals from another signal source were likewise modu lated and summed to form a signal [LIED (wt) sin (2006) which signals were in turn algebraically combined and imposed upon the transmission path. Thus, data elements A, B, C and D occurring at a rate of l/T are alternately applied to corresponding input to the transmitter encoder. Thus, data elements A, C, E...are applied to the first input and data elements B, D, F ...are applied to the second input. The data elements on channel or input 1 are approximated by the encoder according to where w is 'rr/2T. Likewise, the data elements at the second encoder input are approximated by the encoder out of phase by signals of the form (coil cos (2wt) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. la, lb and 1c illustrate the approximation of data elements by signals of the form Sm wt cos 2m as successive elements are encoded from a first and second digital data source.

FIGS. 2a and 2b show the formation of a progressive summation signal for the signals as progressively encoded in FIGS. la-lc.

FIG. 3 shows the progressive effect of summation on the distribution of the echoes" in the digitalized approximation of the (sin rut/mt) functions and as is also seen in FIG. 10.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the encoder emphasizing the progression of signals therethrough.

FIG. 5 is a schematic embodiment of one form of the invention.

FIGS. 6a and 6b illustrate the receiver in block form.

FIG. 7 is an illustrative spectral distribution.

FIG. 8 shows another signal ensemble.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1a of the drawing, there are shown representative data elements A, B, C D...which are to be applied at the transmitter encoder input at a data rate of HT. In this embodiment, the data elements are considered as being taken alternately or two at a time. Thus, data elements A, C, E...are applied to data input channel 1 while data elements B, D, F...are applied to the second input channel. Each data element appearing on channel 1 is approximated by a signal of the form M cos (20) not where q likewise assumes the binary value of the corresponding data element. It is apparent that the encoding signal on channel 1 is symmetric about a central axis while the encoding signal on channel 2 is 90 out of phase. The so-called "echo" pulses are designated with subscripts. Thus, pulses x x occur subsequent in time to the main pulse x with the pulses x and x occurring prior in time to main pulse x.

Referring now to FIGS. lb and 10, there is shown the serial progression in time of the encoding pulses. The encoder algebraically combines the signals as they are applied to each input. What this imports is that each signal has a number of echo pulses, both positive and negative-going, which overlap the echo pulses, of the next successively encoded signal. In FIG. lb the signals A, C, E are algebraically summed and appear at output 1 while the algebraic summation of signals B, D, and F appear at the output of adder 2. The summed signals are applied through corresponding low-pass filters for smoothing purposes.

Referring now to FIG. 10, there is shown a composite or summary of the algebraic combination of the signals summed on channels 1 and 2.

Referring now to FIGS. 2a and 2b, there is shown in greater detail the different steps for generating each signal on, for example, the first channel and for generating a succession of signals in analog form. Now at the top of the figure data elements A,-B, C and D are represented. Data elements A and C encoded on channel 1 have their central pulses symbolically represented. These central pulses occur at a rate of wt and modulate a sinusoidal carrier of frequency 2 ml. The signal designated S(t) represents a summation of A modulating the carrier and C modulating the carrier. Mathematically, the modulated signal relative to A is, of course,

(file tem it 2T 2T for the expression relative to data element C. It is represented q sin 0-2113] cos t II 2T 115 Therefore, the summed signal S(t) is expressed as i sin (t-ZiT) (t2iT) cos i S contains for the carrier.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is considered anew the signal distribution shown in FIG. 111. However, FIG. 3 exhibits a larger number of data elements having as a purpose to make evident the duration and effect over which the digital signal extends and further to determine the data elements which are involved in the final composite signal at any given instant. Consider, for example, data element H. Its echo pulses occur for time periods T on either side of the main pulse. Data element F acts through at least two time periods on either side of the main pulse.

In order to accurately determine the values to be assigned to each of the data elements, the prior values such as, for example, F, D, B, must be known at the time that H is applied to the transmission line. In this regard, consideration must also be given to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

As previously mentioned, at the time when data element H is acting through h.,, F is also acting through f.,, D through d,, and B is acting through b In order to accurately determine sin the above elements, the values of F, D and E must still be known when H appears over the input line D, of the data elements to be transmitted. At that time g ec, and a,, and after that h ,f d [2 and then finally E, are to be simultane ously obtained. A shift register R and then analog adding circuits A...A as set forth in FIG. 4 are used to generate the ap propriate composite signals. The signals shown in FIG. 3 illustrate the progression of values of data applied to path D, to be transmitted in different positions into register R. The composite signal appearing on the output of analog adding circuits AA is designated D',,. Adding circuits AA are formed from a plurality of AND and OR gates such as may be found in any standard reference on logical design as, for example, Logical Design for Digital Computers, by Montgomery Phister, Jr., John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1958, Chapter 2.

Broadly, a clock C, located in clocking and distributor logic circuit H, provides the timing and reference gating signals P1, P2, P3 and P4. This controls the adding circuits with reference to combining one or more of the contents of the various stages of shift register R with the signal magnitude present on path D Referring now to both FIGS. 3 and 4, it can be observed that at the time when data element I-I appears on line D, the value h .,+f +d+b appear on line D during the time interval T/2 defined by timing pulse Pl. During the following time interval T/2 the composite signal g +e +c +a appears on output line D',,. It may also be observed that when H is on the input line D then the data elements F, D, B, and G, E, C, and A are in the respective flip-flops T2, T4, T6, and T1 T3, T5, and T7.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown a more detailed embodiment for register R and for analog adder AA. The flipflops of register R are in cascade and are driven by the input on line D, and by the clock input C,. This clock input also drives the analog adder AA and the timing circuitry in P1,. The timing interval outputs defined by the signals on paths Pl through P4 regulate the output gates 50 through 74. Gates 76 through selectively combine signals gated through the first level and drive corresponding inputs to the resistive algebraic adder AA. It should be readily apparent to one skilled in the logical design art that various and sundry weighting schemes may be employed to achieve both a positive and negativegoing DC range within which a suitable composite signal may be formed. In this regard, the diagrammatic embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is considered merely illustrative of numerous types of logic and algebraic combining circuits. For example, it can be seen in FIG. 4 that the sending of the pulse train represented by g e ,+c,+a are represented by sampling the outputs of flip-flops Tl T3, T5 and T7. If the succession of the data is G, E, C, A such that the elements 3. e q, and a are all negative, then there will be obtained the minimum level which must be reached for the negative output embraced by the leads contained within Schl and simultaneously for the minimum DC condition of the outputs contained within the ones labeled Sch2.

Referring now to FIGS. 6a and 6b of the drawings, there is shown a representative demodulator for separating in phase the corresponding elements of the composite signal. Such demodulation is, of course, well known in the communications art and reference for a typical and useful design may be found in Modulation 3 by Black, Bell Telephone Laboratory Series and also in Transmission Systems for Communications, also by Bell Telephone Laboratories, copyright 1964 at pages 380-384.

Having described and shown an embodiment of the invention, various other embodiments may be envisioned by one having skill in this art in view of this disclosure. Thus, changes in the form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

I. In a data transmission system having a transmitter, receiver, and a coupling medium therebetween and further having means at the transmitter for encoding a sequence of individual data elements A, B, C, D, E, etc., occurring at a g sin wt wt and for modulating each second group data a signal of the form cos nt where q and q are magnitudes corresponding to the data element value; and

means for forming a composite transmission signal from the modulated signals summed over the signal space i defined 2. In a data transmission system having a transmitter, receiver, and a coupling medium therebetween, and further having means at the transmitter for encoding a sequence of individual data elements A, B, C, D, E, etc., occurring at a predetermined data rate T with corresponding signals, each of the corresponding signals being formed from a weighted sequence of pulses approximating the form (sin wt/wt), (n being 21r/T and whose frequency components lie within a predetermined octave of the transmission band, wherein said encoding means comprise:

a source of carrier signals of frequency 11;

means for partitioning the data element sequence into a first group such as is defined, for example, by alternate elements A, C, E, etc., and into a second group such as is defined, for example, by alternate elements B, D, F, etc.; means for forming a modulation product of the signals representing the corresponding first group data element (q sin tut/wt) with the carrier cosin nt, and for forming the modulation product of the signal representing each cor- 50 i responding second group data-element (q' sin tut/wt) with the carrier sin nt, where q and q are magnitudes corresponding to the data elements value; and

means for forming a composite transmission signal from the modulated signals summed over the signal space i defined 3. In a data transmission system according to claim 2,

wherein the encoder comprises:

a shift register having at least the same number of stages as the number of weighted pulses used in the (sin tut/wt) signal;

an analog algebraic adder;

a logic arrangement coupling the outputs of selected register stages to selected adder elements in a predetermined manner; and

clocking and timing circuits for transferring the contents of the shift register at frequency III and for glatin appropnate elements of the logic arrangement w ere y mdividual pulses of each weighted sequence are caused to overlap in time.

4. In a data transmission system of the phase modulation type in which a series of weighted pulses approximating the form (sin tut/mt) are used to represent individual and corresponding data elements, the combination comprising:

a carrier signal source of frequency n;

means for forming a modulation product sin nt q sin wt mi r65 of alternate'ones of the sequence of data elements, and for forming the modulation product cos nt sin nt 

1. In a data transmission system having a transmitter, receiver, and a coupling medium therebetween and further having means at the transmitter for encoding a sequence of individual data elements A, B, C, D, E, etc., occurring at a predetermined data rate T with corresponding signals of the general form (k sin omega t/ omega t), omega being 2 pi /T wherein said encoding means comprise: a source of carrier signals of frequency n; means for partitioning the data element sequence into a first group such as is defined, for example, by alternate elements A, C, E, etc., and into a second group such as is defined, for example, by alternate elements B, D, F, etc.; means for modulating each first group data element by a signal of form and for modulating each second group data element by a signal of the form where q and q'' are magnitudes corresponding to the data element value; and means for forming a composite transmission signal from the modulated signals summed over the signal space i defined by
 2. In a data transmission system having a transmitter, receiver, and a coupling medium therebetween, and further having means at the transmitter for encoding a sequence of individual data elements A, B, C, D, E, etc., occurring at a predetermined data rate T with corresponding signals, each of the corresponding signals being formed from a weighted sequence of pulses approximating the form (sin omega t/ omega t), omega being 2 pi /T and whose frequency components lie within a predetermined octave of the transmission band, wherein said encoding means comprise: a source of carrier signals of frequency n; means for partitioning the data element sequence into a first group such as is defined, for example, by alternate elements A, C, E, etc., and into a second group such as is defined, for example, by alternate elements B, D, F, etc.; means for forming a modulation product of the signals representing the corresponding first group data element (q sin omega t/ omega t) with the carrier cosin nt, and for forming the modulation product of the signal representing each corresponding second group data element (q'' sin omega t/ omega t) with the carrier sin nt, where q and q'' are magnitudes corresponding to the data elements value; and means for forming a composite transmission signal from the modulated signals summed over the signal space i defined by
 3. In a data transmission system according to claim 2, wherein the encoder comprises: a shift register having at least the same number of stages as the number of weighted pulses used in the (sin omega t/ omega t) signal; an analog algebraic adder; a logic arrangement coupling the outputs of selected register stages to selected adder elements in a predetermined manner; and clocking and timing circuits for transferring the contents of the shift register at frequency 1/T and for gating appropriate elements of the logic arrangement whereby individual pulses of each weighted sequence are caused to overlap in time.
 4. In a data transmission system of the phase modulation type in which a series of weighted pulses approximating the form (sin omega t/ omega t) are used to represent individual and corresponding data elements, the combination comprising: a carrier signal source of frequency n; means for forming a modulation product from a first group of alternate ones of the sequence of data elements, and for forming the modulation product from a second group of alternate ones of the sequence of data elements, where q and q'' represent the binary magnitudes corresponding to the binary data element value, T is the data rate of the data elements and omega being 2 pi /T; and means for forming a composite transmission signal from the modulated product signals summed over the signal space i defined by 